Subtle
by Sass Master
Summary: Reno and Tifa get to know each other better. 5th in a collection of 14


Disclaimer: I don't own Reno and Tifa… but it's not for lack of trying. I DO own Final Fantasy VII… I used to own two copies! But the plot isn't mine, if that's what you're asking… (And honestly, who asks that?) Anyway, on with the… show?

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"…Are you done yet?"

"For the last time, NO!" She cast him an angry look, every bit as impatient with his constant asking as he was with her taking so long.

"Reno, if you're not going to help me, you can at least be quiet and let me finish in peace," He glowered at her, shutting his mouth and silencing the protest that was about to escape his lips. "And for heaven's sake, stop pacing! You're gonna drive me crazy!"

His scowl deepened as he took his favorite seat at his favorite bar—Tifa's. "Well excuse me 'Miss Has-a-job-and-has-to-do-job-related-things-and-all-that-shit."

"That's an awfully long name, Reno," Tifa said, placing a newly cleaned glass on one of the shelves beneath the counter. Her sweet smile mocked him before she put on a more serious countenance. "You're not back to being all bitter about being unemployed are you?"

He grumbled in response and she sighed with exasperation, re-capping a bottle of vodka. "Then go look for a job and stop _moping _about it already!"

"That's easy for you to say," he said, flicking a stray bit of ash from the nearby ashtray across the room. "You just went to Midgar and practically fell into a job and held onto it with a friggin' vice-grip. And better still, you came here and fell into yet another job. …I'm startin' to wonder about you."

She shook her head. "You're not even trying."

In the past months since Meteor's arrival and destruction, Reno hadn't been able to keep a job. Anything he managed to land had the tendency to be infinitely uninspiring to him, and he either quit or stopped caring, letting his work slip enough to be fired.

"…Nothing interests me," he mumbled. "Everything I can get is so BORING."

"Jobs aren't meant to be entertaining, Reno," she chided, grabbing a broom to sweep up the shattered remnants of a shot glass that a drunk customer had broken. "They're meant to put food on the table."

He dramatically placed an elbow on the bar and leaned on his hand, making a show of being aggravated over the first prediction that came to mind—If his gut feeling was correct, he had a lecture coming. "Yeah maybe…" He drummed his fingers on the counter and sighed again. "…Are you done YET?" he asked.

She gave him a look. "You know, you don't HAVE to wait for me," She set to wiping down the counter with the dishcloth she kept next to the sink.

He muttered something that sounded a bit like 'Of course I do.'

She frowned at a stubborn spot on the wooden surface, and sought a bottle of cleaning solution in the back room. "Anyway," she started on her return, "Getting back to the job thing…"

Reno looked pained to hear that the conversation was going to continue.

"I mean," She went on even though he hadn't really answered. "I know everything must seem kind of dull compared to being a Turk but that doesn't mean you shouldn't—"

"You know that job doesn't reflect who I am," he cut it, even a little angry. "You KNOW I only stayed with ShinRa to, as you put it, 'put food on the table' and you KNOW—"

"Reno," she interrupted him this time, putting her hand over his briefly. His fingers stopped tapping the counter. "Of course I know. Don't worry. Calm down."

He lowered his eyes, a little ashamed that he so easily got ahead of himself like that.

Tifa frowned. "Anyway, was there any job you were considering?" she asked, busying herself with the rag and cleaner again.

"I dunno…" The finger tapping resumed. "I was thinking like…"

She looked up from what she was doing and raised an eyebrow to show that she was listening.

"I dunno…" he said again. He wasn't sure what was making him nervous. "Maybe something like… bounty hunting?"

He was glad he'd made to sound uncertain, cause her reaction seemed to be one of amusement.

She bit her lip to stifle a giggle. "…Really?"

He made no response, but his eyes narrowed a little. If she didn't know any better, she'd have said he was a little embarrassed.

"You know that's basically law enforcement right?" she said, now unmistakably smiling, with slight ridicule. "Bit rich coming from the former Turk…" she mused, finished with scrubbing and now putting chairs on tabletops.

"You're one to talk," he scoffed. "You've caused as much damage with your AVALANCHE business as I have."

She rolled her eyes, but he couldn't see with her back turned. It was a tired old argument from before they became friendly. She couldn't believe he even bothered saying it. "Point taken, but you see, I have gone back to being a humble bartender, whereas you want to go running around bringing criminals to justice. And you're being really defensive tonight, you know. Relax, would you?"

He shut up and thought for the moment. "Is it really so weird?" he asked.

"Not with YOUR ego. I just think you want a job that makes you look and sound cool… that whole thing."

"Okay fine, but who doesn't want a job like that? You wouldn't think it was a matter of pride if I confessed my undying dream to open up my very own appliance store."

"…Would you give me free appliances?"

He shrugged. "Yeah sure—well, maybe not FREE, I'd be trying to make money and all, so maybe only a few for free and the rest at a discount or something and—hey!"

Damn she was good. She got him to ramble on as if an appliance store was all he aspired to, and she just laughed at him while he did so. He glared at her, earning him an even more derisive giggle.

She brushed past him to double check that the cash register was secured. "I'm _done now_," she told him. She wanted to stick out her tongue, but she figured her tone matched his obnoxiousness well enough on its own.

She rarely brought anything to the bar with her, not even a jacket, as her apartment was only a few blocks away, so she was ready to leave within seconds. "Are you coming?" She smirked at Reno who was still brooding on his bar stool. He said something unintelligible under his breath as he joined her at the exit, and Tifa knew it wasn't pleasant.

His bad mood was a mystery to her. Maybe it had something to do with…

…The weather.

She groaned when she opened the door and looked outside. "Oh _no_," She frowned. "It's _raining_," she said with dismay as she stepped outside with Reno following suit, so she could lock the door.

'Raining,' was an understatement. Kalm NEVER saw this kind of precipitation, especially not during this time of year.

Reno peered over her shoulder. "It's just _rain_. It's not gonna hurt you or anything," he scoffed.

"I _know_. It's not that. I love the rain, really. It's just—"

"What, you're so sugary sweet that you'll melt?"

It was clear that he was making fun of her, but it was still probably the nicest thing he'd said to her all night.

"_No…_" she said.

"Well," he was growing irritated, tired of waiting around. "_What _then?"

She hesitated. "I… umm…" She stared down at herself, particularly at what she was wearing. Reno did too, though he did that a lot more often than he'd let her know.

He suddenly understood her hesitation.

_White shirt + rain …_

"Oh!" He pretended to be as embarrassed as she was. "Oh, yes, of course. I understand," Tifa looked uncomfortable. He went on, waving his hands for effect. "I mean in that case we certainly can't—"

She barely managed a squeak of surprise as Reno grabbed her by the hand and dragged her into the deluge outside.

He'd call it revenge for her making fun of him, but there was always an ulterior motive with him. Tifa had learned that the hard way.

"Reno!" she yelled at him over the sound of raindrops hitting pavement. She nearly tripped as he pulled her off a curb. "I can't _believe_ you!"

He stopped once they made it across the street, and smirked at her panting, angry appearance. "You _really_ can't believe I did that? Come on babe, how long have we known each other?"

She turned bright red because she knew full well he was smirking for a different reason, in addition to the fact that he'd provoked fury in her. She crossed her arms over her chest and carefully avoided his eyes.

Reno suddenly felt a little bad about what he did. Perverted thoughts aside, she WAS soaked to the bone and it was none too warm out. "Stop looking so pathetic," he said, removing his jacket and placing it around her.

A barely audible 'thanks' was the only dialogue exchanged for the rest of the walk to her apartment.

When they arrived at her door, Tifa stopped him when he starting leaving to walk to his home. "Don't be stupid," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him inside. "_I _wouldn't make _you _go out in weather like this."

"Ahhh! Take your shoes off! I'm not letting you ruin my carpet again."

He complied and looked at her expectantly.

She pushed him onto her new couch and headed to the back of the apartment. "I'm gonna go change into something more comfortable," She lamented her choice of words nearly as soon as she'd spoken them.

The gleam in his eye and the threat of an off-color comment prompted her to take off his jacket at throw it at him. It hit him squarely in the face.

"Shut up," she told him, disappearing around the corner.

He set his jacket down next to him, settling against the arm of the couch with one leg stretched out against its back, and one on the floor. "I didn't even say anything!" He wore a very amused expression.

Her voice carried into the sitting room from her bedroom. "Yeah, but you were thinking it!"

_Touché, Lockheart._

When she returned, Reno couldn't help but be disappointed that she'd actually changed into something more comfortable—a tank and baggy pants—rather than something exciting like he'd been hoping. Maybe some day…

"I like your couch," he said, watching her enter the living room. "Nice to see you decided to spring for some furniture."

"I think it's better," she said, lighting the logs in the fireplace to help her apartment heat up quicker. "Not that sitting on the floor isn't without its charms," She flipped the light switch, killing the harsh artificial light. She'd always been fond of the way fire cast interesting shadows and bathed everything in an orange glow. "But the white carpet does make me a bit paranoid."

He watched her lean against the mantle, watching the sparks fly and listening to the wood crackle as it burned.

"C'mere," He motioned to her with his hand.

When she was close enough, his fingers intertwined with hers, and he pulled her into his lap. His jacket had dried considerably, and he threw it over her like a blanket.

"Sorry for being an asshole," he murmured into her hair, wrapping his arms around her.

She settled herself against him, quite content and comfortable. "Hmmm… It's all right. We all have our moments," She snuggled a little closer, gripping his shirt with one hand. "I wasn't so nice to you either."

He smirked. "I had it coming to me."

She made a small 'mmm' of affirmation, but it sounded as though she were only half listening.

He looked down at his chest, which she was using for a pillow, and he could barely see her. With his jacket pulled up over her chin, and her hair falling over her face, he could just make out her nose. But her deep and even breathing told him that she'd fallen asleep.

He was satisfied to remain as he was—as they _both _were—but he wasn't sure how much Tifa would appreciate it. With a sigh, he stood up with her in his arms, jacket and all, and carried her carefully to her bedroom.

He discovered that, like him, she never made her bed. It was easy to place her between the sheets. When he moved to take back his jacket, she shied away and pulled it closer to her.

Reno shook his head. _Never mind then…_

"G'night Teef. Thanks for your hospitality."

She mumbled and curled into a tighter ball, clinging to his jacket.

He returned to the living room and doused the fire, collecting his shoes near the entrance.

A smile couldn't be helped when he realized that the rain had stopped, and a full moon was visible. His sour mood had vanished, and he set off for home with a much better disposition.

He'd have to come back for his jacket tomorrow.

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A/N: This one was a bit odd, wasn't it? And a bit mushy at the end there. This was basically a combination of a bunch of random ideas that I had, as well as an obscure, cryptic reference that no one outside Northern Jersey would understand… and even then, only some people.

**I'm a feedback junkie. Be an enabler, would you?**


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